An alien invasion hits the town of Muddy Gap, but a disgruntled pie aficionado is the only one who seems to remember it…
Denver Bryant’s passion for pie has sent him across Wyoming in search of the best slices. Though he dutifully posts reviews on his blog, he’s never been able to recreate his brief moment of viral popularity, and its trickling income isn’t enough to pay his rent next month.
Driving home from a roadside diner, Denver witnesses a UFO explode directly over his tiny town of Muddy Gap. When he questions his neighbors, it appears that Denver is the only person to have seen anything – or to care that the residents’ strange behavior, as well as a shower of seashell hail, might be evidence of something extraterrestrial. Being both non-binary and autistic, he’s convinced his reputation as the town eccentric is impeding his quest for answers. Frustrated, he documents the bizarre incidents on his failing pie blog, and his online popularity skyrockets. His readers want the truth, spurring him to get to the bottom of things.
The only person in town who takes him seriously is handsome bartender, Ezra. As the two investigate over pie and the possibility of romance, the alien presence does more than change the weather. People start disappearing. When Denver and Ezra make a run for it, the town refuses to let them leave. Reality is folding in on itself. It’s suddenly a race against time to find the extraterrestrial source and destroy it before it consumes not only Muddy Gap but everything beyond. Denver’s always been more outsider than hero, but he’s determined to ensure that a world with Ezra – and with pie – still exists tomorrow.
How reading the first 15 pages went for me:
Wow, Denver is kind of a dick and a really unlikable character. I mean, I’ve been told a few times that I come off as mean, but I just have a wicked resting bitch face. They also use honesty as an excuse to write those super mean pie reviews.
*immediate pause*
⟳brain loading↻
- June 21st, 2024: Butcher & Blackbird | Book Review
- “Too cringey. I’m not referring to anything related to the long list of TWs at the beginning—well, maybe, but not because I was triggered. Unless you count second-hand embarrassment as a trigger.“
- Sept. 10th, 2023: The Name of the Wind | Book Review
- “Don’t get me started on the mysterious and quirky teacher characters. My eyes rolled so far into my head they came around the other side.“
- Aug. 10th, 2023: Den of Vipers | Book Review
- “The cover literally says international bestselling author?? If this is the new standard for books, then my dyslexic ass is querying the fanficition I wrote in middle school.”
I was quite surprised by how much I related to Denver. I won’t go into specifics, but let’s just say my super cute purple fidget cube is sitting on my desk next to me as I write this review. Oh, and I once told a coworker she was starting to smell bad because everyone was mentioning it but not saying anything directly to her. It went about as well as you’re imagining.
Also, on a side note, can anyone tell me if the ad revenues on their pie blog were accurate? Because if so, I need to get on that.
Ok, actual book thoughts:
It’s cute. I mean, I know there’s the whole alien invasion thing going on, but I found it quite cute and funny. The author really draws you in with their characters, and there were so many funny little quips that I had highlighted. This book was just so dang charming.
I saw some people mention that this portrayal was ‘checklisty’ and full of ‘buzzwords’ when it came to diverse representation, and I’m inclined to agree. However, that is not my area of expertise, nor am I going to sit here and scrutinize how the author chose to address certain situations. Instead, I’ll tell you that the story was original, maintained great pacing, and was overall well-written.
This is going on my ‘want to buy physical copy’ list not only because I enjoyed the book, but also because the cover is absolutely stunning. This is also the kind of book that I would actually recommend reading on paper just because for me when I’m reading something ‘cozy’ it’s best enjoyed in paperback with a cup of tea.
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